Breath of a Warrior
by Blizzard-dream
Summary: It's Rippedheart's mission to spy on StoneClan and PrairieClan, in an effort to bring them down. But it will prove to be more complicated than she thinks. Read inside for more details. Rated T for blood/fighting.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, so I bet you're all wondering, "What the heck is Blizzard-dream doing now?" If you're not, you should be. :] This is my new story; it has nothing to do with my other one. As you can see below, these are all new Clans. You will also see that I have no cats! Gasp! That's because I need everyone else's ideas on what cats should fill these wonderful positions.**

**So here's what I want you all to do. I need leaders, deputies, and med. cats of course. I'll pick the best one for each position. Then, I need about ten warriors per clan and about five or six apprentices. Then maybe two or three queens (with and without kits) and three or four elders. Sounds easy right? I hope so too. xD  
You'll also notice that there are two new groups here! Let me explain them;  
Climbers are usually big, tough cats that can duke it out in the mountains. You can use the one I already have as an example. Most climbers are rouges who can cause trouble for the Clans. Their pelts are usually dark subtle colors (grays and browns) and they're pretty big. I want four or five climbers; probably more males than females. I may or may not have a climber with a Clan name (obviously a cat that was banished or left.)  
Fishers are like traders. They live by the ocean, collecting shells, sea stars, pretty rocks, etc. to trade to Clan cats for prey or herbs. These cats are usually on the smaller side, and may be any color or gender. I'll probably have four or five of them as well. **

**Now, for the Clans;  
PrairieClan lives on... guess what? A prairie! xD These cats are light-footed and long-legged, so they can see over the tall prairie grasses. (For anyone who doesn't know what a prairie is, it's a big place with lots of weeds and tall, yellowish grass. xD) They have light-colored pelts (from whites to browns; lots of calicos.)  
StoneClan's territory have lots of rocks, and it can get really muddy. Their paws are tough and slightly webbed, and they're pretty good at fishing. They have mostly dark pelts, especially blue-grays.  
The Clans' ancestors are known as SpiritClan. **

**Setting: The setting is pretty simple. Imagine a large valley, surrounded on the South and the West by mountains, the East by a sheer-faced cliff, and the North by an ocean. The valley is split down the middle by a river that's surrounded by a sandy bank and empties into the ocean and is fed by springs in the mountains. On the West side of the river is a prairie, full of yellowish grasses and only a few large boulders; barely any trees. This is PrairieClan territory. It's borders are the river, the mountains, and the shore of the ocean. The shore is where the Fishers usually live. The Climbers live in the mountains. On the East side of the river is an area full of sharp, flat rocks that have fallen from the cliff face, which serves as StoneClan's Eastern border. Small streams run through StoneClan territory and short, scrubby grass grows everywhere there isn't a rock. StoneClan borders are the shore, the river, the mountains, and the cliff.  
The Clans speak with SpiritClan in a cave at the foot of the mountains, just inside of StoneClan territory. Stepping stones provides PrairieClan access to the cave. It is known as Mooncave, and inside, the stone walls are embedded with sparkling rocks coated with ice. A small hole in the roof of the cave allows moonlight to shine down and illuminate the cave. **

**So there you have it. What's the story, you ask? I'm still not sure yet. xD I'm sure it will come to me while you all help me with cats to fill the Clans with. Send me ideas and review and tell me what you think of this idea. Every comment is appreciated. (I apologize ahead of time if I don't use your cat(s). I'll try to use all of them that I can.) Below is the form I'd like you all to use when you send in cat ideas.**

**Name: (For Clan names, please don't use any strange words that in no way would describe a cat. Also, no human words. These cats don't know what humans are. For Fisher/Climber names, anything is acceptable.)  
Age: (Try to give in moons, if you can. If you're not sure, years and months will be fine.)  
Rank: (For Clans only)  
Gender: (Male or Female)  
Description: (Pelt/eye colors, any other physical things you think I need to know, i.e. he only has three legs... something like that.)  
Personality: (Three or four sentences describing your cat's personality traits, and maybe a little history. No novels please. :])  
Group: (Clan or other)**

**PrairieClan**

**Leader:** Leader – big and bad and stuff

**Deputy:** Deputy – I swears I didn't shoot him

**Medicine Cat:** Littlecatperson – little and herby

**Warriors _(toms, and she-cats without kits)_**

Warrior – rawr and stuff

**Apprentices _(more than 6 moons old, in training to become warriors)_**

Shortstuff – not all that scary

**Queens _(she-cats expecting or nursing kits)_**

Queenoftheclan – a moody female

**Elders _(former warriors and queens, now retired)_**

Elder – an old cranky dude

**StoneClan**

**Leader:** leader – bigger and badder than the other one

**Deputy:** Deputy – if you shoot him, you won't get away with it

**Medicine Cat:** Meddycatdude – not quite as wussy as the other one

**Warriors _(toms, and she-cats without kits)_**

Warriorgrr – rawr and stuff with a hint of lemon

**Apprentices _(older than 6 moons, in training to be warriors)_**

Anothershortcat – still short still not scary

**Queens _(she-cats expecting or nursing kits)_**

Queeny – she's not mad, she's just disappointed…

**Elders _(former warriors and queens, now retired)_**

Crankyelder – one word. Run.

**Fishers**

_(Cats who trade fish and "trinkets" for prey or herbs)_

Traveler– a small tortoiseshell tom with a long history; on very good terms with the Clans and visits them often

**Climbers**

_(Rouges who live alone in the mountains)_

Skull_ - _massive gray tom with amber eyes who wanders around the mountains, wearing his brother's skull on his head, looking for his brother's killer


	2. Chapter 2

**Alright, here are my updated allegiances; some of the descriptions may have been tweaked due to length. I'll keep updating every once in a while until I have all my spots filled. As you can see, I still need several cats. Poor PrairieClan has no warriors to defend it, and StoneClan, despite seeming more popular, has no leader. So, if you all don't help me out, I'll actually have to think them up myself! The horror! D:  
Just kidding. Anywho, more entries are muchly appreciated. I'll take them from anyone, don't be shy. I still need several Clan cats (if get too many warriors, they'll start becoming elders...) and a few more Fishers and Climbers.**

**PrairieClan**

**Leader: **Lionstar – light golden tabby tom with blue eyes

**Deputy: **Icefire – pure white she-cat with pale ginger paws, ears and tail-tip

**Medicine Cat: **Mosspath – a white-and-tortoiseshell she-cat with bright green eyes

**Apprentice, Lightpool**

**Warriors _(toms, and she-cats without kits)_**

Warrior- rawr

**Apprentices _(more than 6 moons old, in training to become warriors or medicine cats)_**

Lightpool – light ginger she-cat with green eyes

**Queens _(she-cats expecting or nursing kits)_**

Brightflower – light tabby she-cat with amber eyes

**Elders _(former warriors and queens, now retired)_**

Elder – an old cranky dude

**StoneClan**

**Leader:** Leader – bigger and badder than the other one

**Deputy:** Hawkstripe – dark brown tabby tom with a gold stripe down his back

**Apprentice, Rainpaw**

**Medicine Cat:** Meddycatdude – not quite as wussy as the other one

**Apprentice, Whisperpaw**

**Warriors _(toms, and she-cats without kits)_**

Scentstalker – a huge gray tom with darker gray spots and green eyes

Skyraider – a beautiful longhaired gray tabby she-cat with a white chest and blue eyes

Crowstrike – an unpleasant dark gray tom with only one amber eye

Watertail – a gray tom with blue eyes

Nightheart – a wiry black she-cat with white paws and brown eyes

**Apprentices _(older than 6 moons, in training to be warriors or medicine cats)_**

Whisperpaw – small longhaired blue-gray she-cat with yellow eyes

Rainpaw – pretty blue-gray she-cat with amber eyes

**Queens _(she-cats expecting or nursing kits)_**

Rainflight – a dark tortoiseshell she-cat with white paws and throat

(Mother of Rosekit and Ripplekit)

**Elders _(former warriors and queens, now retired)_**

crankyelder – one word. Run.

**Fishers**

_(Cats who trade fish and "trinkets" for prey or herbs)_

Traveler– a small tortoiseshell tom with a long history; he's on very good terms with the Clans and visits them often

Luna – a young silver she-cat with large blue eyes; mute

**Climbers**

_(Rouges who live alone in the mountains)_

Skull_ - _massive gray tom with amber eyes who wears his brother's skull on his head; fluent in wolf


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello everyone! So, I think this is the final installment of the affiliations. If anyone has any severe issues with it, please tell me and I'll try to correct it. Maybe.  
Anywho, my story should be coming. This is going to be interesting, seeing as I'm in Colorado right now and am not inclined to write right now. So... yeah.  
Thanks to everyone who submitted names. I tried to get as many as I could in there. But if you still want to submit Fishers or Climbers, I'm willing to take two or three more.  
And... yeah. So, here it is. :D **

**PrairieClan**

**Leader:** Lionstar – light golden tabby tom with blue eyes

**Apprentice, Moonpaw**

**Deputy:** Icefire – pure white she-cat with pale ginger paws, ears and tail-tip

**Apprentice, Sunpaw**

**Medicine Cat:** Mosspath – a white-and-tortoiseshell she-cat with bright green eyes

**Apprentice, Lightpool**

**Warriors _(toms, and she-cats without kits)_**

Starlingwing– a long-limbed black and white tom with blue eyes

**Apprentice, Fuzzypaw**

Thornstripe – gray tom with brown stripe down his back

**Apprentice, Nightpaw**

Lynxclaw – light tabby tom with amber eyes

**Apprentice, Silverpaw**

Frostshadow – an amber-eyed white tom

Redfur – reddish tom with a white tail-tip and amber eyes

Robinheart – reddish tom with white paws and underbelly

Hawkwing – a pale brown tom with light blue eyes

**Apprentice, Breezepaw**

Leafdapple – a pretty tortoiseshell she-cat with white paws and green

eyes

Flowerstripe – a green-eyed pale orange tabby she-cat

Frostfawn – light brown she-cat with white spots, chest and paws

**Apprentices _(more than 6 moons old, in training to become warriors or medicine cats)_**

Lightpool – light ginger she-cat with green eyes

Spottedpaw – creamy furred she-cat with black flecks and blue eyes

Sunpaw – golden tabby tom with blue eyes

Moonpaw – slim, pretty pure white she-cat with a darker back

Breezepaw – white she-cat with green eyes

Nightpaw – black she-cat with green eyes

Silverpaw – pretty silver tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Fuzzypaw – light brown tom with very fluffy fur

**Queens _(she-cats expecting or nursing kits)_**

Brightflower – light tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Flamefur – green-eyed ginger she-cat; mother of Ashkit, Leafkit, and

Bramblekit

Rosefall – pale ginger she-cat with white paws and a white spot on her

nose; mother of Lightkit and Lionkit

Nightdapple – black she-cat with golden markings on her back; mother

of Juniperkit and Brownkit

**Elders _(former warriors and queens, now retired)_**

Cloudpoppy – fluffy white she-cat with bright blue eyes

**StoneClan**

**Leader:** Pebblestar – dark, mottled gray she-cat with amber eyes and white

tail-tip

**Deputy:** Hawkstripe – dark brown tabby tom with a gold stripe down his back

**Apprentice, Rainpaw**

**Medicine Cat:** Russetblaze – dark red-brown tom with yellow eyes and a fluffy tail

with ginger bands around it.

**Apprentice, Whisperpaw**

**Warriors _(toms, and she-cats without kits)_**

Scentstalker – a huge gray tom with darker gray spots and green eyes

Skyraider – a beautiful longhaired gray tabby she-cat with a white chest and blue eyes

Crowstrike – an unpleasant dark gray tom with only one amber eye

Sunpelt – red-orange tom with dark stripes and orange eyes

**Apprentice, Fallingpaw**

Nightheart – a wiry black she-cat with white paws and brown eyes

**Apprentice, Bramblepaw**

Smokefoot – amber-eyed, muscular gray tabby tom with pale gray splotches

Shadestorm – brown tom with black underbelly, ear, and muzzle

Boulderfall – gray tom with brown underbelly and paws and blue eyes

Wolf-fang – dark gray tom with darker and lighter tabby stripes

Tinyspeckle – a very small black she-cat with small cream-colored spots

**Apprentices _(older than 6 moons, in training to be warriors or medicine cats)_**

Whisperpaw – small longhaired blue-gray she-cat with yellow eyes

Rainpaw – pretty blue-gray she-cat with amber eyes

Bramblepaw – amber-eyed dark brown she-cat

Fallingpaw – ginger she-cat with gray and black spots

**Queens _(she-cats expecting or nursing kits)_**

Rainflight – a dark tortoiseshell she-cat with white paws and throat;

mother of Rosekit and Ripplekit

Littledrip – small dark gray she-cat with amber eyes; mother of

Willowkit and Troutkit

Elders _(former warriors and queens, now retired)_****

Nightrock – dark gray-and-black tom with amber eyes

Rockfire – mottled brown and black tom with green eyes

**Fishers**

_(Cats who trade fish and "trinkets" for prey or herbs)_

Traveler– a small tortoiseshell tom with a long history; he's on very good terms with the Clans and visits them often

Luna – a young silver she-cat with large blue eyes; mute

Riddle – light gray tabby with amber eyes

Fern – a very small light gray she-cat with green eyes

**Climbers**

_(Rouges who live alone in the mountains)_

Skull_ - _massive gray tom with amber eyes who wears his brother's skull on his head; he's on speaking terms with the local wolf pack

Succubus – pure black she-cat with staring yellow eyes

Quaint – a dark creamy she-cat with darker ears and paws with icy blue eyes


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello everyone. Sorry this took so long; many circumstances (including a bout of writer's block) have caused my delays in updating. So here we go. R&R por favor! Please! Bitte!**

**Prologue**

A large moon filled the night sky, accented by thousands of stars. However, the tall peaks of the mountains, as well as some clouds that threatened a storm, blocked most of the sky. This didn't bother the large gray tom who was roughing it on the rocks; he preferred not many saw him tonight. His nightly quest was quite dangerous and the less he was noticed, the better.

He soon descended into the soft prairie. The ground felt too soft under his paws, and the tom curled a lip in disgust. But the tall grasses hid his large form well. It wasn't long before he passed the border of one of the warrior Clans that lived in the valley below his mountain home. Their scent made him gag; it was sharp and bitter, almost like mouse bile mixed with dead grass. The tom kept moving, making his way to the heart of the grassy Clan's territory. Right to their camp.

The tom hunched down in the grass, gazing at the camp entrance. A small form stood guard, its gender and coloring indefinable in the shadows. The gray tom inhaled sharply. A young tom. Perfect.

The warrior in question looked up, as if the sound had caught his attention. He squinted, trying to determine if any of the shadows held intruders. It wasn't until the trespasser had pinned him down that the warrior saw the huge gray tom. He opened his mouth to sound the alarm, but a large paw pressed down on his windpipe. A stray moonbeam glanced off the gray tom's head, and the warrior gave a strangled gasp.

"_Skull…_"

Lengthy claws extended and pierced the warrior in the neck. He let out a quite gurgle, and then was dead, blood flowing from his wounds. The gray tom, who obviously went by the name Skull, grunted and stepped up off his victim. He cast his bright yellow eyes around, peering through the eyeholes of his head covering. Scenting the air, he located the nursery. As he approached it, he heard the faint squeaks of sleeping kits.

Skull ducked into the nursery, his eyes adjusting to the dim light. Several she-cats lay sleeping in separate nests, their kits nestled against them. Now, he just had to choose one: preferably an older one that wouldn't need milk or a mother to survive. Skull located a queen with older looking kits, maybe 5 or 6 moons old. There were three of them, two with lighter pelts, one darker. Even as he watched him, the dark kit slowly raised her head and yawned. As if it could tell he was there, the kit whipped around and stared at Skull.

"Who're you?" the kit said clearly. Intense blue eyes gazed out of her dark brown face. It was a she-kit. Skull glanced quickly around to see if she'd awoken anyone else.

"My name is Skull," he growled softly. "Kit, would you like to go on an adventure?"

The she-kit thought for a moment. "Maybe. Where're we going?"

"To the mountains. You'll get to see mountain animals. Big scary ones. Are you up for it?" Skull pretended to look at her critically.

The kit's eyes hardened into chips of ice. "Of course I am! I'll meet a wolf, and I'll tear it to shreds! That'll make Leafkit jealous." The brown she-kit glanced scornfully at her dappled sister.

Good, Skull thought. She has a jealous heart, and knows hate. This is the one. Skull carefully shook a few seeds from between his claws. He'd been careful to keep them intact his whole trip.

"Eat these," he commanded.

The she-kit looked at them disdainfully. "What are they?"

"They'll make you strong for your adventure. Trust me."

"Well… okay." She carefully licked up the seeds. Then she looked back at her mother. "Should I let her know I'm going?"

"No." Skull said quickly.

"Besides," she murmured, almost to herself. "We'll be back before morning, right?"

"Of course," Skull purred. It would be good of the she-kit was gullible too.

Skull backed out of the nursery, and the she-kit followed him. In the moonlight, Skull could see that her pelt was mainly dark brown, but she had black paws, and black specks that reminded him of the accent marks of a wolf. She was perfect.

At the sight of the bone on Skull's head, the she-kit stared. "What that? On your head?"

"I'll tell you when we leave camp." He bounded ahead of the she-kit, remembering that the dead sentry's body was still lying out. He grabbed it and quickly moved it into the shadows. Luckily, the she-kit didn't find his behavior strange, and they passed through the entrance without incident.

Once outside, Skull answered her question. "This is a skull, the bone inside your head. This particular skull belonged to my brother. He was killed without reason, so I wear his skull so that when I find his killer, they'll know I've come for revenge."

"That's kind of sad," the she-kit commented. "Do you know who killed him?"

"It was a Clan cat," Skull growled. The she-kit gasped, but didn't say anything. After a few silent moments, Skull looked back to see that she-kit had stopped.

"Skull, I feel sleepy…" Her eyes were glazed over and she swayed on her feet. Without preamble, she collapsed to the ground, deep in a drugged sleep.

Skull snorted. It was annoying to travel while carrying the sleeping kit, but it was necessary to keep her from escaping. Once in the mountains, it wouldn't matter.

The moon was just starting to set when Skull reached his destination. A large cave yawned in front of him, the reek of wolf blowing over the gray tom's nostrils. Skull dropped the she-kit to the ground, where she gave a small whimper in her sleep.

"Bardolf! Come Bardolf, I've brought you a gift."

Something stirred in the cave, but when the wolf appeared, it was not the large silver brute Skull was expecting, but a black and gray one. The wolf shivered when he saw who had called. This may have seemed odd to anyone else, but wolves are highly suspicious, and the Skull's namesake that he wore on his head filled the wolves with fear. That was the only reason they'd agreed to not kill him initially.

"Skull." The wolf nodded. "What is it you want on this night of wolves?" The brute was referring to the huge moon, known as the wolf moon.

"Conall." Skull's skull rattled ominously as he jutted out words in the wolf language. "Bring Bardolf."

The black wolf stared for a moment at Skull and his strange bundle, before disappearing into the cave. When he reappeared, he was followed by not one, but two other wolves. The one Skull was looking for was the silver Alpha, known as Bardolf.

"Welcome, Skull." Bardolf dipped his head ever so slightly. The third wolf said nothing. He was a strange pale red wolf, with mismatched eyes, one of blue and the other brown. He was known as Jinx, and Skull knew why he was here. He was the pack's Shaman.

"I've brought you your vengeance." Skull nudged the brown she-kit with his paw.

Conall laughed. "You've brought us a snack!" He was quickly silenced by a growl from Bardolf, who turned angrily to Skull.

"What do you mean by this? You promised me a warrior, a spy, one who would be loyal to me!" He growled menacingly.

Skull hissed. "That's what I've brought! How do you think you'll get a Clan cat to be loyal to you if you do not raise it, live with it, fill its head with your ideas and thoughts. This kit will grow strong with the wolves, and will love only the wolves. Eventually, she will be ready to help you bring down the Clans."

As Skull spoke, Bardolf's anger faded and was replaced by a look of shining hope in his eyes. Hope for his family to once again hunt in the verdant valley, instead of stuck in the cold mountains. "Of course, Skull, I see what you mean. If we raise it like us, it will be like us. What do you think of it, Jinx?" The Alpha turned to his Shaman.

The red wolf leaned forward and sniffed the brown she-kit. "See she is colored like the wolf; she has the wolf's markings. This is good. And she is strong-looking." Jinx looked up. "This one will do well here. I can take care of her memories. She'll never remember her previous life." He licked his chops, chuckling.

Bardolf nodded. "Very well. Tasha is expecting pups, so the kit will have someone to grow up with." He gave a wolfish grin. Then he looked down at the brown she-kit. "What's its name?"

Skull shrugged. "It doesn't matter what her mother called her. She'll have a new name." He pondered for a moment, and then growled, "She'll be called Rippedheart, because I ripped her from the heart of her Clan."

Back in the valley, outside a rough stone den that smelled of herbs, two cats sat staring at the stars. The larger of the two, a reddish-brown tom, was teaching his apprentice about the stars.

"Each star," he said, "is a SpiritClan warrior. They watch over us and guide our paws on the right path. They send us dreams to tell us of the future."

His apprentice, a small blue-gray she-cat, was transfixed by one certain star. "What about that one, Russetblaze? The red one?"

Russetblaze stiffened. It was a dull red star that seemed to pulse slowly as he stared at it. As the medicine cat apprentice watched, her mentor's eyes glazed over, and his body shook all over. Just as the small she-cat was beginning to worry, Russetblaze returned to normal.

"That, Whisperpaw, is what we call the wolf star," he finally murmured. "It's a bad omen; SpiritClan sends it to us when the wolves of the mountain become restless and their minds turn evil." He looked down at Whisperpaw. "But don't worry. SpiritClan will lead us through the dark times, and the Clans will prevail."


	5. Chapter 5

**Yay! Reviews make Blizzard happy! Thanks for everyone who did. And for all you clever people who think you can figure out who Rippedheart was, you be wrong! xD Rippedheart was taken before the current alliegences, so she's actually Leafdapple's sister, and Flowerstripe's daughter. But nice try everyone. I'm glad you all agree that Skull is a creep. I made him that way. :]  
Anywho, another note; I can't believe no one called me out on switching up a name in the prologue! I stupidly changed SpiritClan to SkyClan, and no one noticed. xD Oh well, it's fixed now.  
All right, chapter one. I hope this gives you a little insight to Rippedheart's life with the wolves and tells you a little more about the rest of the pack. Enjoy! And please review! Reviews keep Blizzard happy. :D **

**Chapter One**

"Rippedheart? Rippedheart, wake up!" Clumsy pup paws pummeled Rippedheart's belly. She groaned and rolled over to avoid the sharp claws, but was finally awaken by a cold wet nose inserted in her ear.

"Siri!" she cried in irritation. Someone giggled, and Rippedheart opened her eyes to see Bardolf and Tasha's pups staring at her in adoration. She groaned, feeling bruises beginning to form under her pelt. But it wasn't anything new; ever since the birth of the pups, many seasons ago, Rippedheart had played the part of pup entertainer and friend. Three pups had been born to the Alphas; Moon, the only female and a shining pure white; Siri, slender like his mother with a brown and gray coat; and Birch, the biggest pup, who'd been named for his creamy-white fur.

"Rippedheart!" Moon barked, joy in her eyes. "Mama and Papa went out hunting with Conall and Raff, and Jinx is out as well. It's just you and us!" Moon of course, was especially happy about that. None of the pups really liked Raff, a reddish-brown she-wolf who was Bardolf's sister. Rippedheart shared their dislike of the cold, calculating female.

Rippedheart jerked upright. "Wait, then where is Felan?" she asked, wondering who in the world had been watching the pups until now.

Birch snorted. "He's here, but you know he doesn't really count." Rippedheart wasn't sure she liked the way Birch treated the Omega wolf. He acted too much like Bardolf did. It wasn't Felan's fault he was the lowest wolf of the pack; a run in with an enemy pack many seasons ago had left Raff's mate dead and her son, Felan, with a permanent limp.

Rippedheart glanced around, spotting Felan by the entrance of the pack's cave. Rippedheart had a certain soft spot for the small black wolf; he was the only one who would talk to her when she first arrived in the pack.

"So… Rippedheart?" Moon ventured. "Are you going to give us a lesson? Since Mama and Papa are gone?"

Rippedheart glanced at Felan. Secretly though, she wasn't worried. She'd been giving the pup's lessons in the language of cats since they were old enough to be left alone, and she was pretty sure Felan listened in. He was a good soul, and he wouldn't turn them in.

"All right then," she told the pups. They squealed with excitement and sat down facing Rippedheart. The pups already knew how to say a few simple phrases; it was difficult for them, since it required an entirely different set of tongue and jaw movements. It had been the same when Conall and Felan had taught Rippedheart to speak wolf, with the help of Skull.

"Okay, repeat after me." Rippedheart switched to cat. "_I want to go hunting._"

_"I… want to… go…" _The pups couldn't seem to wrap their tongues around the last word.

"That's all right. Do you at least know what the sentence means?" Rippedheart's tail swished back and forth serenely. She loved speaking her native language; the words rippled off her tongue like water. Speaking wolf was like gargling rocks.

"You want to go… Is it a place? Do you want to go somewhere?" Siri asked.

"Not quite, but close. You got the first few words right. But it's an action. I want to go do something."

Moon's eyes closed in concentration. "It kind of sounds like another word you taught us… _hunt,_ which means hunt_._ Do you want to go do something like hunting?"

Rippedheart's eyes lit up. "Exactly! Hunting is the word!"

Moon danced around joyfully, while Birch eyed her in annoyance. Sensing a potential fight, Rippedheart looked to Siri for assistance. But Siri was watching the cave entrance, and Rippedheart turned to see that Felan was talking to someone unseen. He suddenly turned around and motioned to Rippedheart. The speckled she-cat called over Moon, telling her to settle down. Giving the pups instructions to practice words on their own, Rippedheart trotted over to Felan.

The unseen visitor was Skull. Rippedheart nodded to Felan, who went to watch the pups. Rippedheart turned back to Skull.

"Hello, Skull," she addressed him formally, nodding her head. Despite being her uncle, Skull didn't appreciate affection. Rippedheart didn't mind though; if it weren't for him, she wouldn't be alive. When Rippedheart was very small, her family was living in the lush valley below the mountains. But cats from the warrior Clans that also lived there stole their territory, killing the rest of Rippedheart's family. Only her father's brother, Skull, had survived to rescue Rippedheart and bring her to the mountains. The wolves had brought her up as a favor for Skull. She wouldn't have survived amongst all the Climbers in the mountains who only lived to kill.

"Rippedheart, I must discuss your future with you." Skull stated. Rippedheart stiffened. She'd been wondering when this was coming. "Let's walk where we won't be heard." Skull growled, glancing at the cave.

Rippedheart bristled slightly. Was he suggesting that Felan and the pups weren't trustworthy? She considered saying something, but then decided she'd rather hear what Skull had to say.

They found an outcropping of rock to sit on, one that gave them a good view of the valley below. Rippedheart gazed upon it, wondering what it would feel like to walk through the prairie's tall grasses, or walk over the spongy mosses that grew between the rocks of the wetland. Beyond the valley, she could just make out the soft sandy shores and the sparkle of the sun on the ocean.

"Do you remember?" Skull asked.

"What?" Rippedheart jerked out of her reverie.

Skull gestured to the scene below with a jerk of his tail. "Do you remember what it was like to live there?"

Rippedheart shook her head. "Not really. Every once in a while, I'll remember something, like the scent of my mother, or the sound of the wind rustling the tall grass. But that's all." She noticed Skull staring at her intently, but she looked away.

"Would you like to go back?"

Rippedheart glanced at him in surprise. "But we can't! What about the Clans? They'll never let us move back."

Skull was silent for a moment, before he said, "Has Bardolf ever told you he used to live down there, in the valley?"

Rippedheart nodded. "He'd mentioned it before."

"Did he tell you why he left?" Rippedheart shook her head.

"He was forced out. He and his sister were born into a large and prosperous pack. His pack and a few others used to live in the valley, until the Clans came. The Clans were sick; they brought a strange disease with them, one that the wolves had never encountered. Many wolves became sick, and while the cats would recover, the wolves did not. Bardolf's mother and father died from the disease, as did many other wolves. The remainder of the packs joined together for protection. They were willing to share the valley with the Clans."

A scowl was plastered on Skull's face. "But the Clans refused. With their superior numbers, the Clans drove the wolves out, into the mountains, where their numbers dwindle due to less prey and hostile environment."

Skull turned to face the one who called him Uncle. Rippedheart was perfect for the task he had planned for her. He'd seen her determination and drive while she was hunting. And she already knew hate towards the Clans; he'd seen it in her eyes when he lied to her about her family. And now, with her love of the wolves, that hate would be solidified.

He was right. Rippedheart was seething inside. She didn't want to think about what would happen if the wolves didn't get their territory back. The faces of Moon, Siri, and Birch floated in her mind; she tried to imagine two without the third. It was impossible.

"Skull, we have to do something about this." Rippedheart growled. "The wolves can't live like this forever. You and I can't live like this forever!" She turned to her uncle, eyes burning. "We have to do something. Soon."

Skull only nodded, but inside he was bubbling with mirth. This was just too perfect. He was finally going to get his revenge, after so many years.

"Don't worry, young one," Skull said in a sagely voice. "Bardolf and I have a plan, and you are included in it. All will be revealed in time."

Rippedheart's heart filled with a joy that was blackened by hate. She gazed over the valley and spat, hatred blinding her. She didn't hear the sound of approaching paw-steps, until the remainder of the pack was upon them. Bardolf was leading Tasha, Raff, and Conall, all who carried a hunk of bloodied meat in their mouths. No doubt it was meant for Jinx and the rest of the pack.

Bardolf set his meat down to talk. "Skull, you are early. What are you doing here?

The gray tom nodded. "I was eager to inform Rippedheart of our rapidly evolving plans."

Bardolf gave a wolfish grin, and was about to say something, when Conall interrupted around his piece of meat. "Wha' plan?" Bardolf snapped at him while the other two chuckled. Raff was eyeing Rippedheart in a way that made her feel uncomfortable.

"Very good, Skull. But you should go now. You know you're not supposed to come around in the daylight. It's too dangerous."

For a moment, Rippedheart thought Skull would make a scathing remark. But instead, he only nodded, gave one last look at Rippedheart, and then slipped away. Rippedheart followed Bardolf and the wolves back to the pack's cave, where the pups bombarded Rippedheart with questions as to where she went. They were soon silenced, however, by the prospect of food. In the mean time, Rippedheart sat with Felan, who had to wait until Jinx and the pups had eaten before he could. Sometimes, he went without. Rippedheart usually hunted for herself, and would try and slip him a rabbit or something.

"What did Skull want?" Felan asked after a while.

Rippedheart shrugged. "He just wanted to talk to me about my future." She paused for a bit. "He told me about the history of the wolves, and how they used to live in the valley."

Felan nodded. "Yes, my father used to tell me that story before he died. All that soft grass; it sounds nice. And then elk that live in the woods beyond the prairie…" Felan licked his lips at the thought. "Having not been hunted for a while, they'd probably gotten nice and fat and lazy." His throat rumbled in laughter. Suddenly he stood up. "My turn." He trotted over to what was left of the meat, and began gnawing on a meaty strip of bone.

Rippedheart watched her adoptive family fondly. She had to help them win their home back. She just had to. Even if it meant fighting alongside with them, and dying.


	6. Chapter 6

**Welcome back, my faithful readers! And thank you for the reviews! My favorites are when you all give your opinions on certain characters. :]**

**Rainshimmer - I'm glad you agree. And that's not even his worst. **

**Nightdapple - It is kind of cruel. That was, of course, Skull's intention.**

**Wolfgrowl - Don't worry. It only seems that they're bad. Really, Bardolf just has his family's health in mind. If you think about it, the Clans seem to be in the fault here. ThunderClan and the badgers, anyone? :]**

**Anyway, I just realized I've been lacking in disclaimer. So here it is: Blizzard-dream does not own Warriors. If she did, Rainwhisker never would have died and would have become a major character in the series.**

**Chapter Two**

"You want me to what?" Rippedheart's question broke the silence. Skull was back, this time in the dead of night. A full moon hung over their heads, and down below, in the valley, cats from the Clans could be seen massing on either side of the river. At first, Rippedheart thought they were fighting, but Skull informed her that at every full moon, the two Clans came together and shared news.

Skull nodded. "To infiltrate the Clans. Find out their strengths and weaknesses, how many cats there are, and what they know of the wolves. The less they know, the better for us." The skull on his head shadowed his amber eyes, and Rippedheart couldn't tell what expression they held.

"But… why? What purpose would that serve? And why me?"

Skull sighed in an irritated sort of way. "Rippedheart, this is all part of the plan I was talking about earlier. The Clans don't know about you; you could easily join them and earn their trust. Then, you slowly milk the information out of them and report it to me." Skull tilted his head up. "Think of Bardolf's pack. Think of Moon, Siri, and Birch. Do you want them to grow up starving in the mountains? Without the capabilities to feed them all, the pack will have to get rid of some of its members. And the first to go will be Felan."

Rippedheart winced and Skull noticed with satisfaction that he'd hit a soft spot. Rippedheart liked Felan; saw him as an equal. "It's not fair," she hissed, her claws digging into the ground. "Why do the Clans think they can just shove everyone out of all that territory? They don't need it all."

Skull nodded gleefully. "So will you do it?"

At his question, all of Rippedheart's anger seemed to deflate, replaced by uncertainty. How could she leave the only family she'd ever known, and venture into enemy territory, living with cats she hated with all her heart?

"I… I don't know. Let me think about it." Rippedheart looked away, not wanting to meet Skull's gaze.

Skull huffed in irritation and impatience. "Fine. But I'd like your answer in three days."

Rippedheart nodded and turned away, heading in the opposite direction of the pack cave. She needed time alone to think about what Skull was offering. She padded along, her keen night vision picking out every sharp stone and rolling pebble on her path. The night was cloudless, which meant the moon was at its brightest. It cast long eerie shadows everywhere, making Rippedheart jump at the slightest movements and sounds.

As if going along with her thoughts, and shadow stretched in front of her, and the sound of breathing made her whip around. Standing in her path was a wolf. It wasn't anyone she knew, which instantly made her afraid. She'd had little contact with other packs, but she knew she'd never win a fight against a full grown wolf.

"What is this?" the wolf whispered. It circled Rippedheart, and she realized it had no scent. Not a real scent at least. Rippedheart could only catch a smell that, for some reason, made her think of starlight. The wolf leaned forward to sniff her, and she flinched back, growling deep in her throat.

"Leave me alone. I'm no threat to you." They were the first words she'd ever learned in wolf. And they were essential to keeping her alive in the mountains full of wolves. Rippedheart tucked her tail between her legs and bent her head, trying to appear as submissive as possible.

The wolf chuckled, a strange high-pitched giggle that grated on Rippedheart's ears. "A cat who thinks she's a wolf." The wolf whispered. It didn't seem to want to raise its voice, a wise choice on enemy territory.

Rippedheart didn't say anything.

"What's wrong, kitty? Cat got your tongue?" The wolf giggled again as Rippedheart filled with rage.

"I said leave me alone!" Rippedheart sprang at the wolf, raking her claws towards its muzzle. To her complete and utter surprise, her paw went right through it. This was no real wolf. It was a spirit.

Now Rippedheart was really scared. She didn't know how to fight a spirit. She remember stories that Jinx would tell the pups, about how wolf spirits were vengeful things who would rise out of the ground and eat your soul.

The wolf's eye gleamed red. Rippedheart could now see that its body was slightly unsubstantial, and she could almost see through its silvery pelt.

The spirit wolf tilted its head, its eyes gleaming with madness. "What're you thinking, pup? Think you don't want to be a pup anymore? Think you want to run back to your little cat friends?" The spirit continued to circle her.

_"I am a wolf!"_ Rippedheart yowled, and launched herself at the spirit, all reason forgotten. She, of course, flew right through it, and nearly fell over the other side of the path. She managed to catch her front claws on the edge. She struggled to pull herself back up.

The spirit wolf crept towards her on his belly, keeping his head at her level. Its eyes were shining with triumph. He sniffed the air as she panted in her effort to regain her footing. "Just a confused pup; with the breath of a warrior." The spirit sneered.

Rippedheart stopped dead and stared at the wolf. "What do you mean, warrior? I'm not a warrior," she hissed.

The spirit wolf let its tongue loll out of its mouth. "Of course not. Warriors aren't cowards. And neither are wolves!" It giggled again.

"I'm not a coward," Rippedheart growled.

"Then prove it!" the spirit wolf barked. It suddenly lunged towards her, jaws open wide. In surprise, Rippedheart lost her grip and went tumbling down the mountainside. Rock scraped her pelt as she fell. She hit her head, hard, before coming to a rest on an outcropping of rock. Rippedheart's world began fading around her, but before she black out, she heard a quite voice giggle, "Prove it."

Rippedheart awoke to the sound of a voice calling her name. At first she thought the spirit wolf was back to taunt her, but then she realized she recognized this voice. She opened her eyes to see a slim black face peering down at her.

"Conall?"

The wolf nodded. "Thank goodness you're alive; when I saw your body down here I wasn't sure." He tried to nudge Rippedheart to her feet, but stopped when she let out a whimper of pain. "Everyone's been worried about you. Even Skull." Conall shook his head, as if he couldn't fathom that Skull had any feelings at all.

Skull? That was a surprise. But then Rippedheart blinked. "Everyone?"

Conall shrugged. "Well… Raff wasn't really, and Jinx was… well, Jinx. But Felan and the pups were especially. They wanted to come searching too, but Bardolf wouldn't let them." He looked over Rippedheart's battered body. "How far did you fall?"

"I don't know, a couple wolf-lengths at least." Rippedheart shook her head. "I think I'm just sore."

"How did you fall?" Conall asked as she slowly stood up. "You're so sure-footed."

Rippedheart squinted, trying to remember what exactly had happened. "I was attacked… attacked by a spirit wolf."

Conall's eyes widened fearfully. "A spirit wolf?" He kept his voice low, though his ears went back. "What would a spirit wolf want with you? Did it try and eat your soul?"

Rippedheart shook her head. "I don't think so. It just stared at me, saying weird things."

Conall gasped. "It _spoke_ to you? What did it say?"

Rippedheart snorted. "It called me a pup, and said I was a coward." She growled, remembering what else it called her. But she wasn't going to mention that part to Conall.

"Maybe you should talk to Jinx about it. He might know what was going on."

After the pups had appropriately attacked Rippedheart, they forced her to tell them what had happened. She made up a scary story about how she'd battled an evil wolf spirit who wanted to eat her soul. In the end, she was victorious, after ripping the spirit wolf's essence in half. The pups gasped as one, eyes wide in wonder.

When they finally let her go, Rippedheart and Conall sought out Jinx, who was wandering the paths outside the cave. Rippedheart launched into her story, pausing just after her realization that it wasn't a real wolf she'd encountered.

"And then what did it say?" Jinx asked. His mismatched eyes were starting to bother Rippedheart, as much as the wolf was staring at her.

"It said I was a 'confused pup.' When I said I wasn't, it said, 'Of course. Wolves aren't cowards.' I figured it was calling me a coward. When I said I wasn't one, it said, 'Then prove it!' That's when it lunged at me and I lost my footing and fell."

Jinx was nodding excitedly, as if it all made sense to him. "The ancestors must consider you a wolf! Why else would they send a wolf spirit to speak with you. You must have an important task to do, and that's why it didn't eat your soul," he stated matter-of-factly. "It probably called you a coward because it thought you wouldn't accomplish that task and it was trying to inflame your pride. That's all I can think of." Jinx then wandered off, as if Rippedheart's strange encounter had never happened. What a weird wolf, Rippedheart thought.

But she continued to think about what he'd said, well into the night. It was true; she had a task, and she was afraid of it. Rippedheart looked around at her sleeping family fondly. She had to do this. For them.

When Skull arrived the next night, Rippedheart gave him her answer.

Skull smiled. "Good. We'll start with you education now."

**Did the spirit wolf remind anyone else of Rafiki from the Lion King? o.O Anywho, read and review please! :D**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello again. Sorry these chapters are few and far between; my brain hasn't been working lately. Blame it on summer. **

**Rainshimmer: -throws you Rafiki Junior plushie- Glad you agree. I think you're my favorite reviewer right now. ^^**

**Nightdapple: Aw, you've hurt Rafiki Junior's feelings. Oh well, he's dead, he'll get over it. :]**

**Anywho, here's chapter three. Don't bite my head off if it seems a bit dry or there are some mistakes; I stayed up late to bring you this chapter! Really! It's 1:30 in the AM now. -yawns- As always, read and review!**

**Disclaimer: Blizzard does not own Warriors. If she did... well, it'd be a lot scarier.**

**EDIT: Bah, I told you was I was tired. Anywho, I'm updating this chapter so it's a little easier to read with line breaks for the time changes. And now Hawkstripe's eyes are brown like they're supposed to be. xD**

**Chapter Three**

"Okay, again. Backwards this time." Skull was drilling Rippedheart on Clan hierarchy.

"The kits are the youngest members of the Clan. They range from newborn to six moons old. When a kit reaches its sixth moon, it becomes an apprentice. An apprentice is a young cat in training to become a warrior or a medicine cat. They train under one cat who teaches them to hunt and fight. A warrior is young to middle-aged cat, male or female, who defends the Clan with his or her life and hunts for the Clan. When a warrior become too old to perform his or her duties, he or she will become an elder. An elder is a respected member of the Clan. Many young cats go to them for advice. Apprentices take care of the elders and make sure they are always fed first." Rippedheart stopped to catch her breath, and Skull snorted.

"Stupidest thing I've ever heard. If a cat is too old to take care of itself, that's its problem." He nodded to Rippedheart. "Continue."

Rippedheart sighed. "The medicine cat takes care of the Clan by healing wounds and sicknesses. They also supposedly speak with the Clans' dead ancestors, known as SpiritClan. The deputy is second-in-command in the Clan and organizes all patrols. If the leader should die, the deputy becomes leader. The leader of the Clan always holds the name Star at the end of their name. The leader has a lifetime position, and supposedly gains nine lives from SpiritClan. But that's rubbish," she quickly added, because that was what Skull always said when he taught it to her.

Skull nodded. "Of course it is. There's no such thing as SpiritClan. Just tales from a bunch of cats who don't want to let go of their dead parents." Skull spat, a sneer on his face.

Rippedheart felt something was missing though. "Skull, who takes care of the kits?" she ventured. "What about the she-cats who have kits? Are they warriors too? If they are, who takes care of the kits?"

Skull glared at her, and for a moment, she thought he was going to claw her for asking such stupid questions. But then he answered, "Don't worry about them. They don't hunt and fight for themselves. The Clans call them queens, and the warriors defend them. But then they go back to being warriors once their kits are gone. All the queens share the duty of looking after the kits. Wouldn't want any of them to go missing, would they?" He leered in a creepy way that made Rippedheart shudder.

Sometimes Rippedheart found it hard to relate to him.

Skull went back to being the cat Rippedheart knew well: brusque and stone-faced. "You should be heading back. It's almost moonhigh." He dismissed her and whipped around, soon disappearing around a bend in the path. Rippedheart watched him go, wondering where he went every night.

Finally she returned to the cave, curling up in her nest near the entrance of the cave and off to the side. Her nest wasn't too far from Felan, who sniffled in his sleep. His back leg twitched; his injured one. Maybe he was having a nightmare; about the night his father was killed. Rippedheart thought of her own father, long dead, maybe almost as long as Felan's father: and her mother's warm milk scent, which she sometimes remembered in her dreams.

_This is no time for reminiscing. I should be sleeping,_ Rippedheart thought. She was leaving tomorrow for the Clans; and she hadn't even told the pups yet. She sighed, resting her chin on her paws. _This is going to be difficult._

_

* * *

_

"But why?" Moon's huge black eyes stared pleadingly.

Rippedheart sighed. This was going as badly as she thought it would. And no one else was being very helpful. Bardolf, Tasha, and Raff were sitting outside the cave, discussing who-knows-what, and generally ignoring the chaos behind them. Felan was sitting in a corner, sniffing. Jinx had disappeared, as usual.

But it was Conall's reaction that had confused Rippedheart the most. Instead of wishing her "good luck" or "safe journey", he'd simply said, "Don't die," before stalking out of the cave, a moody look on his face.

Rippedheart shuffled her paws. "I have you; you need to understand this." She wasn't sure if she should be telling the pups about what she was doing, exactly. Instead, she said, "I'm going on a mission; for Bardolf." The pups' ears perked up at the sound of the father's name. "A secret mission from the Alpha?" Birch said in a hushed voice.

Not knowing what else to do, Rippedheart nodded. "Yes, a secret mission. Only the other wolves and Skull know about it. And to achieve my mission, I must go to the valley alone. Understand?"

Moon and Birch nodded, but Siri said, "Can't you tell us what you're doing?"

Rippedheart shook her head. "No, that's why it's secret. But if you're good pups while I'm gone, and learn all your lessons, Bardolf might just tell you want I'm doing."

The pups' eyes were wide in awe. Spying Skull outside, Rippedheart stood. "I have to go now. I'll miss you," she said sadly. She reached up and touched her nose with the pups', and Moon gave her a big wolf kiss, which plastered Rippedheart's fur to her head. "Thanks," she chuckled, wiping her face on her paw. With that, she turned and trotted out of the cave.

"Good, you're ready. Let's go," Skull said, without even saying hello, or goodbye to the wolves.

"Bye," Rippedheart nodded to the three wolves. Bardolf and Tasha nodded slightly, while Raff just stared at her. Ignoring the she-wolf's glare, Rippedheart followed Skull down the mountain path towards her knew life.

* * *

"Do you know where we are?" Skull asked. They had reached the bottom of the mountain, and were now in a small wooded area just next to the river.

Rippedheart looked around; nearby, she saw a small dip in the rock face. Further inspection revealed a cave. The tunnel inside was cold, and Rippedheart didn't want to go in any further. "Is this that Mooncave you were talking about?"

Skull bared his teeth. "Yes. Now listen!"

Rippedheart faced him; Skull was already is a bit of a mood.

"This will be the meeting place. After every full moon, I'll meet you here. It has to be the night after; that way the information from the Gathering will be fresh in your mind. You give your report; tell me anything interesting about the Clans, and I'll relay it to Bardolf. We'll decide what to do with your information. Understand?"

Rippedheart nodded. "I'll be joining the Clan in this territory. StoneClan, right?"

"Yes. Their leader is a gray she-cat called Pebblestar. She's the one you have to impress. Maybe you should show them some of the fighting moves I taught you." Skull's eyes glinted for a moment, but the amusement was suddenly erased from his face. "Now go. The evening patrol will be around soon. And don't fight them," he growled. "You may have been raised by wolves, but remember: you're still a cat."

Rippedheart watched as Skull slipped away, presumably going back to the mountains. When he'd completely disappeared, Rippedheart turned to look at the prairie on the other side of the river. She remembered a dim memory of wind blowing over the land and the smell of dried grass. It was too bad she hadn't been assigned to the Clan over there, PrairieClan. But Skull had figured she would fit in better with StoneClan, with her training on the mountains and her dark pelt.

Now she just had to find that patrol. It didn't turn out to be too hard; she just followed the scent markers on the shore of the river. In the distance, Rippedheart spotted four shapes coming towards her. She couldn't help fell a little nervous; these were the first cats she'd ever seen (did Skull count?)

It seemed Rippedheart's nervousness was well anticipated; as soon as the patrol spotted her, they began sprinting towards her. She was wrong however, to assume that they'd stop once they reached her. With a screech, a dark gray tom launched himself at her, pinning her to the ground. Her first instinct was to fight back; she pushed her back paws against the tom's stomach and pushed him away. He rolled away, trying to catch his breath. Rippedheart jumped up, but then immediately sat down when she found herself facing three more cats, one of them bigger than her.

The gray tom was back, and he pushed her to the ground, pinning her beneath his huge paws. "What are you doing on StoneClan territory? Are you spying for PrairieClan? Or perhaps you're one of those Climber scum." he hissed. Rippedheart gasped as he pressed his paw down on her neck.

"She can't very well tell us that if you're choking her, Crowstrike," said the other tom of the group. He sounded slightly amused. His orange tabby pelt seemed to reflect the sunset behind him.

Crowstrike snorted, but grudgingly let Rippedheart sit up. She coughed, shaking dirt out of her pelt. She glared at the tom called Crowstrike, and was startled to discover that he only had one eye.

The orange tom stepped forward. "Now, as my Clan-mate so correctly pointed out, what are you doing on our territory?"

Rippedheart bristled at the tom, irritated by his calm tone, but saw a challenge in his eyes. If she didn't convince them now, he would have no qualms about chasing her out.

Rippedheart curled her tail around her and tried to look as submissive as possible. "I would like to speak to your leader. Please. I mean no harm," she added.

The orange tom regarded her thoughtfully. Without looking away from her, he asked, "What do you think, Tinyspeckle?"

A small black she-cat to his left shifted slightly. Her belly was slightly swollen, and Rippedheart thought she sort of looked like Tasha when she was expecting her pups. Maybe this Tinyspeckle was pregnant as well.

Finally, the she-cat shrugged. "She seems harmless enough to me. But, what, I wonder, is so important that you need to talk to the leader of StoneClan?" She directed her question towards Rippedheart.

For a moment, the brown she-cat was taken aback. She hadn't expected the patrol to be so inquisitive. She'd just assumed they followed their leader's orders and didn't ask any questions themselves. Quickly, Rippedheart cleared her throat and answered, in a low voice, "I want to talk… about joining your Clan."

Crowstrike started to laugh, but the orange tom looked thoughtful. "StoneClan could use more warriors." She heard him murmur to himself. Looking to his right at the last cat of the patrol, a small ginger-patched she-cat, he said, "Fallingpaw, we will escort… er." He looked at Rippedheart. "Do you have a name?"

She nodded. Skull had told her it would be safe to use her name, since no one could possibly know who she was. "My name is Rippedheart."

The tom seemed surprised for a moment. But he turned back to Fallingpaw. "We will escort Rippedheart to camp. You run ahead and inform Pebblestar someone is here to see her."

Fallingpaw nodded and darted off. Crowstrike stopped laughing and started to fuss. "Sunpelt, surely you're not going to –" But Sunpelt silenced him with a flick of his tail.

"Yes, Crowstrike. I am the leader of this patrol and I say we allow Rippedheart a chance to defend her case." With that he started trotting away, flicking his tail for Rippedheart to follow. She did so, with Tinyspeckle walking next to her, but a little ways away. Crowstrike took up the rear, which made Rippedheart a little nervous. But she had to trust that he would obey Sunpelt.

As the headed towards the StoneClan camp, Rippedheart checked out the scenery. There were rocks everywhere, but that didn't bother Rippedheart. What was strange was the grass growing in between every rock. She'd seen grass before, of course, but had never walked on so much of it in her life. It was soft and slightly wet, cooling her paws. This was the season the wolves called Heat-Moon, but it seemed much hotter down in the valley than in the mountains.

* * *

"We're here." Rippedheart looked around. Was Sunpelt trying to trick her? She didn't see anything. She glanced at him, but he just looked back blandly, as if expecting her to do something. Thinking, Rippedheart opened her mouth slightly, allowing scents to rush over her. She focused on the scent of StoneClan that she smelled on the three warriors' fur; it was an earthy smell, like dirt, mixed with a mossy rock smell. Rippedheart looked around at Sunpelt.

"There?" she asked, pointing her tail at a cluster of brambles. Now that she looked, it was easy to see the many paw prints leading towards the bush, and the StoneClan scent was overwhelming.

Sunpelt nodded, looking pleased. Crowstrike just snorted and pushed past her, disappearing through the brambles. Rippedheart narrowed her eyes; she could tell she wasn't going to like Crowstrike.

Rippedheart followed Tinyspeckle, pushing past the brambles into a small clearing ringed by all sorts of stones that leaned against each other. She gasped; there were more cats in here than she thought possible. More than any creature she'd ever seen. How did they all live together and not want to, at one point, not tear each other to shreds?

Rippedheart stood stock still as many of the cats seemed to notice her. They sat in small groups, whispering and glancing at her. She spotted Crowstrike amongst them, no doubt telling them of her ridiculous request.

"Rippedheart, over here," someone called. She turned to see Sunpelt sitting next to three other cats. She guessed the dark gray she-cat must be Pebblestar, StoneClan's leader. She slowly padded over to them, unsure of what was awaiting her.

"Pebblestar, this is Rippedheart, the cat who would like to join our Clan." Sunpelt said. "Rippedheart, meet Pebblestar, leader of StoneClan."

Rippedheart dipped her head to the leader, who continued to eye her. "You have an interesting name. Where do you come from?"

"The mountains," came Rippedheart's rehearsed answer.

The dark brown tom next to Pebblestar bristled. "A Climber?"

Rippedheart's eyes widened fearfully, as Skull had taught her. "No, never: I could never contend with those monsters. It is because of them that I left." She took a deep breath and began to weave her tale. "I left the mountains because my uncle just recently died. My parents and siblings died when I was young, and my uncle raised me in the mountains. He was strong enough to fight off the Climbers, and he taught me to fight as well. But when he died, I was too afraid to stay. I was hoping I could join your Clan for there is nowhere else to go. I would not be a burden; I can hunt and fight well." Rippedheart let her eyes settle on Pebblestar's, putting as much grief into them as she could.

The gray she-cat seemed to consider her words. She turned to the brown tabby. "Hawkstripe?" _He must be the deputy,_ Rippedheart thought.

"Well," Hawkstripe deliberated. He was named well; he was a brown tabby with a single golden stripe running down his back, with brown eyes that didn't seem to miss anything. "I see no reason to not let her join. If she really can fight as she says, she may be a valuable asset to StoneClan. Perhaps we could give her a trial run; allow us to see how she performs in a Clan." He stared at Rippedheart, sizing her up.

"A good opinion," Pebblestar said. She looked over at the second tom, a reddish-brown tom who smelled faintly of moss and leaves. "Have you seen anything, Russetblaze? What is your opinion?"

Russetblaze stepped forward, and, to Rippedheart's surprise, sniffed her pelt. His lip curled, and Rippedheart's stomach plummeted. He looked at her with a mixture of fear, disgust, and something else… relief? But it was gone so quickly Rippedheart couldn't properly identify it.

Russetblaze lifted his head, and his voice rang out over the clearing. "I think she reeks of wolf."


	8. Chapter 8

**Soooooo... I'm really sorry this took me so long to update. My mind has been at a blank for a while, and I kinda had to force myself to write. You avid writers out there know how it is: you don't feel like writing the boring, inbetween parts. You just want to get to the good stuff. xD Anyway, thanks to everyone who reviewed. Keep it up, please. :3  
As for your guesses, don't give up yet. xD Rippedheart still has a trick up her sleeve... er, pelt. xD **

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**Chapter Four**

The heads of several Clan members perked up, renewed curiosity and hostility sweeping through them. Wolves were the enemies of the Clans: everyone knew that.

Suspicion immediately ran through the faces of Pebblestar and Hawkstripe. Rippedheart didn't have to fake her surprise this time: she was genuinely shocked. Skull had specifically told her, as they descended the mountains, to rub up against as many rocks and stubby plants as possible. At the bottom, she'd rolled in some damp ferns. Even Skull had declared that there wasn't a hint of wolf-scent on her.

She flinched as Hawkstripe leaned forward to sniff her as well. Confusion replaced his suspicion. "I don't smell anything. Just dust and rocks." He wrinkled his nose.

Pebblestar also opened her mouth slightly to analyze Rippedheart's scent. "Not a hint of wolf-stench," she agreed. She turned to Russetblaze. "Are you sure you scented wolf?"

Russetblaze was now looking both befuddled and aggravated. "I smell it, I tell you. Maybe my nose is just sharper than yours."

Pebblestar's ears flicked in irritation, but she stood up and called to a large gray-spotted tom sitting not too far from them, next to a pretty gray she-cat. "Scentstalker, will you come here please?"

Mewing something to the she-cat, Scentstalker padded over, looking cautiously interested at Rippedheart. Then he dipped his head to his leader. "Yes, Pebblestar?"

"Your nose is well known as the sharpest in the Clans. Could you tell us if you scent wolf on our guest here?" Pebblestar flicked her tail at Rippedheart.

The brown she-cat was started to get uncomfortable with all these cats sniffing her, but she stayed obediently still as Scentstalker circled her, sniffing. After a few moments, he shook his head. "I smell nothing of the sort. Just mountain." Realization seemed to dawn on him that Rippedheart might be a Climber, and he glanced at Pebblestar for an explanation.

But Pebblestar was glaring at Russetblaze. "You must have been mistaken, Russetblaze. There's not need for scaring the Clan off of potential fighting strength." Suddenly, her eyes widened. "Unless it was…" She adruptly stood up. "Come!" She beckoned Russetblaze with her tail. "We need to talk." She glanced at Hawkstripe. "Perhaps you could show Rippedheart around camp." Then she and Russetblaze disappeared into a tunnel under a low rock. Rippedheart figured it was probably Pebblestar's den.

Now Rippedheart was left alone with Hawkstripe and Scentstalker.

"Spread the word," Hawkstripe said to Scentstalker. "Rippedheart is a guest here… and she doesn't smell like wolves," he added dryly. Scentstalker laughed and padded away. Rippedheart watched in interest as he said something to the gray she-cat he was talking to earlier, who glanced at Rippedheart, and then they both split up and approached different groups. The news of the strange newcomer would soon be all over StoneClan.

"That's Skyraider," Hawkstripe said, following Rippedheart's gaze to the gray she-cat. "You've met Scentstalker… and Pebblestar and Russetblaze. And I'm Hawkstripe, in case you didn't catch that. I'm StoneClan's deputy; kind of like the second-in-command." The brown tom spoke swiftly, and though he didn't smile, his eyes were friendly. Rippedheart was slightly taken aback.

"Shall I give you the grand tour then?" Without waiting for an answer, he walked away. Rippedheart trotted to catch up with him, and saw that he was padding towards the patrol that had brought her in. They'd reassembled near the entrance, obviously waiting to give their official report.

"Hawkstripe," Sunpelt nodded his head as they approached. "Other than Rippedheart here, everything was quiet." He smiled at her. "So, is Pebblestar going to let you join the Clan?"

Rippedheart glanced at Hawkstripe, unsure of how these things proceeded.

"She's discussing it with Russetblaze now," Hawkstripe said. "But it seems highly likely."

Sunpelt purred, which made Rippedheart feel strangely warm inside. It appeared she had one friend – no ally – in the Clan. She couldn't be making friends. It would be detrimental to her mission.

Tinyspeckle didn't seem phased by the news, but Crowstrike spat angrily and stalked away.

"What's wrong with him?" asked a small voice. Rippedheart hadn't seen Fallingpaw, hiding in Sunpelt's shadow.

Sunpelt chuckled. "He doesn't trust anyone, not even the kits."

Hawkstripe flicked his tail. "You're all dismissed. Oh, and Tinyspeckle…?" The small speckled she-cat turned around. "Russetblaze says no more patrols for you. You'll find Rainflight and Littledrip have made you a nest in the nursery."

Rippedheart almost laughed at the comical scowl on the small cat's face. She sighed irritably and headed towards a tunnel disappearing into a small hillock, where Rippedheart thought she could detect the mews of kits.

As Sunpelt and Fallingpaw disappeared, Hawkstripe gestured to Rippedheart to follow him again. He led her to a large flat rock that was leaning against a small one, creating a narrow opening.

"This is the warrior's den. It's closest to the entrance so our warriors can be ready to defend camp as soon as possible." As he said this, two cats poked their heads out of the den.

"Hi, Hawkstripe!" the black she-cat said cheerfully. Her companion, a muscular gray tabby tom, narrowed his eyes as he caught sight of Rippedheart.

"Who're you?" he growled.

_Great, another Crowstrike… _she thought, but all she said was, "Rippedheart."

The black she-cat flicked the tom with her tail. He turned to smile at her.

_Maybe not…_

"Don't mind him," the she-cat said. "My names Nightheart, and this grumpy furball is Smokefoot."

Rippedheart nodded to them, trying to keep her face neutral. She'd noticed that a lot of these warriors' names seemed to represent them. Crowstrike and Nightheart both had dark or black pelts, like their namesakes, the same with Smokefoot and Pebblestar and their gray pelts. They also seemed to be two-parted, like hers. Had that been Skull's intention all along? But then… how did Rippedheart's name describe her?

Her thoughts were interrupted by Nightheart's question.

"So, Rippedheart, huh? Interesting name… are you joining the Clan or something? Since Hawkstripe's showing you around and stuff…?"

Rippedheart shifted her paws. "Well… I would like to. I think Pebblestar's still debating it with Russetblaze." She noticed Nightheart and Smokefoot glance at Hawkstripe when she said this. But he just shrugged and turned away.

"C'mon Rippedheart, I still have half the camp to show you."

Mewing a quick goodbye, the two warriors disappeared back into the den and Rippedheart once again was following Hawkstripe. Approaching another jumble of rocks, she detected the same smell that hovered around Russetblaze.

"This is the medicine cat den." Hawkstripe flicked his tail at a small opening. "Obviously, this is where Russetblaze treats sick or injured cats."

Rippedheart didn't think it was all that obvious, but she didn't say anything. She knew most of this stuff anyway.

"Oh, Whisperpaw," Hawkstripe greeted a longhaired blue-gray she-cat. "Whisperpaw is Russetblaze's apprentice," he explained.

Whisperpaw was carrying bundle of leaves, and seemed to be heading for the nursery. But at the sight of the two cats, she set down her burden. "Hello Hawkstripe. And Rippedheart, right?"

Rippedheart flicked her ears in surprise. "Yes, how did you know?"

Whisperpaw flicked her tail back towards the medicine den, where a pair of amber eyes glowed mischievously. "Rainpaw told me."

Rainpaw turned about to be a pretty blue-gray she-cat. She glanced shyly at Hawkstripe. "I heard it from Fallingpaw."

Hawkstripe snorted with laughter. "Of course."

"Are we going hunting like you promised?" Rainpaw gazed up at the deputy with wide pleading eyes.

"Not now, can't you see I'm showing Rippedheart around?"

"Then can I come with you?"

Hawkstripe sighed. "Fine." But Rippedheart could see that he was smiling.

The three followed Whisperpaw to the next den, which turned out to be the nursery. With the camp being a semi-circle, the nursery was almost directly opposite the entrance.

Whisperpaw delivered her herbs and then disappeared again, but Hawkstripe allowed Rippedheart to glance around. "The tortoiseshell is Rainflight and the dark gray she-cat is Littledrip," he told her.

Rippedheart peered inside. Four small kits were crowded around Littledrip and Rainflight, while Tinyspeckle was snoozing in her new nest in a corner. Rippedheart was suddenly hit with a feeling of nostalgia. She'd been in a place like this once, warm and safe with her mother and siblings by her side. She retreated from the nursery as bitterness overwhelmed her.

Next was the elders' den. Two old toms sat outside an old gnarled tree, swapping stories and enjoying the sun. The mottled brown tom introduced himself as Rockfire and the gray-and-black tom as Nightrock. Nightrock ignored Rippedheart. _Fine by me, _she thought.

"And, last but not least, the apprentices' den." Hawkstripe showed her a small den next to the leader's den.

"This is where I sleep!" Rainpaw proclaimed proudly. "And Fallingpaw and Bramblepaw too. But not Whisperpaw," she said, somewhat sadly. "She stays with Russetblaze incase he needs her."

Rippedheart couldn't help looking around. She'd seen the entire camp, but had managed to avoid the bulk of its inhabitants. Though, thanks to Scentstalker and Skyraider, more of the glances she was getting were curious instead of hostile. She wondered when Pebblestar was going to formally announce her arrival.

While they waited, Rainpaw and Hawkstripe took turns pointing out and naming cats for Rippedheart. Now that she thought about it, there weren't as many cats as she thought there were. Initially, her shock had confused her into thinking that there were more cats than there actually was. The only cats she hadn't met were Shadestorm, Boulderfall, and Wolf-fang – who were brothers – Skyraider, and Bramblepaw, who couldn't be located at the moment.

Rippedheart was slightly bothered by Wolf-fang's name. Did these Clan cats look down so much on wolves that they thought of them as common animals to be named after? The wolves did not bear names relating to cats. But when she asked about it, Hawkstripe had this to say.

"He was named that for his pelt. See how his markings resemble that of a gray wolf's? They are not unlike yours, though yours are brown and black."

Rippedheart reluctantly admitted to herself that it was true. And perhaps the Clan cats tried to pretend that they were as powerful as wolves, when in actuality, an adult wolf such as Bardolf could have taken down three warriors at a time, easily.

She continued to muse for a while, until movement out of the corner of her eye made her turn. Pebblestar was emerging from her den, closely followed by Russetblaze. The look on his face was unreadable. Pebblestar leapt upon the rock that covered her den, and her voice rang out over camp.

"May all cats six moons and older gather here for a Clan meeting." Her white tail-tip twitched back and forth impatiently as the Clan grouped below her. Rippedheart, ignoring the few stares she was still receiving, glanced around. She noticed that Tinyspeckle and Rainflight had joined the gathering, while Littledrip stood by the nursery entrance, the four kits tumbling around her.

"Over here," Hawkstripe muttered, and Rippedheart followed him to sit below Pebblestar.

Pebblestar yowled to command silence. "As many of you know, we have a guest in our camp. Rippedheart wishes to join StoneClan."

She paused as yowls of confusion and outrage swept over the crowd. It appeared many cats were apposed to letting a stranger into their midst.

"Silence!" Pebblestar screeched. Many cats looked at her in surprise, and Rippedheart noticed a small amount of fear on Fallingpaw's face. Pebblestar was truly a fearsome cat, when she wanted to be.

"Calm yourselves," Pebblestar growled. "And think. Rippedheart has no more ties now to the mountains than you or I. She can be a valuable asset to StoneClan. We need all the fighting power we can get, incase we are attacked by PrairieClan. Everyday it seems, they grow larger, and we do not. Do we want to submit to those grass-bellies, whose brains and hearts are as empty as seed husks?"

Cries of "No!" and "Never!" filled the camp. Rippedheart couldn't help admiring Pebblestar's tactics. She inflamed her Clan's hatred of their enemies, distracting them from the thought that Rippedheart was a stranger. Now, she was a possible ally.

"We should hear other opinions on this matter," Pebblestar said. She flicked her tail at her deputy. "Hawkstripe?"

Hawkstripe stood up. "I believe Rippedheart should join our Clan. It is true what Pebblestar says, and she seems interested and willing to learn." He sat back down.

Pebblestar nodded. "Thank you. Russetblaze?"

Russetblaze didn't stand up, just continued to stare straight ahead. "I think she should join as well."

Rippedheart narrowed her eyes at him. _Yeah right. How many mice did your leader have to shove down your throat to get you to say that?_

Pebblestar turned back to her Clan. "Does anyone else have something to say?"

To no one's surprise, Crowstrike stepped forward.

"I'll tell you why she can't join," he growled, his one eye squinted. "For one thing, she's a she-cat…"

Next to Rippedheart, Hawkstripe let out a groan. Apparently, he'd heard this speech before.

_So he's one of _those_ animals… _she thought. She tuned out the rest of his speech.

"Thank you, Crowstrike," Pebblestar finally said, sounding bored. "Anyone else?"

"Well at last she doesn't smell like a wolf!" someone shouted. Rippedheart didn't see who said it, but it sounded like it came from the direction of the three brothers. Rippedheart tried not to smile. Whether Russetblaze knew something everyone else didn't or not, it didn't matter. His declaration had been turned into a joke, and he wouldn't be able to convince them otherwise.

"Very well. If that is all," Pebblestar jumped down and stood facing Rippedheart. "Do you promise to stay loyal to StoneClan and learn the warrior code?"

"I do." _Sort of._

"Will you keep your name?"

"Yes. If that's okay?" Rippedheart added.

Pebblestar just nodded. "I, Pebblestar, leader of StoneClan, excersize my authority to name this cat as an honorary warrior of StoneClan. On the day you have proven to be a loyal follower of the warrior code, I will name you as a full warrior." Pebblestar placed her paw on Rippedheart's head.

Some dim inkling arose in Rippedheart's mind, and, following her instincts, she placed her paw on Pebblestar's shoulder. Her new leader blinked at her in surprise, but didn't say anything.

For a moment, everything was quiet. Then a voice rose up. "Rippedheart! Rippedheart!"

It was Sunpelt. Soon, other voices had joined his. Rippedheart smiled, feeling that strange warm feeling in her chest again. She was accepted.

But then the warmth turned chilly. She was getting closer to her goal.

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**Dun dun dun! StoneClan has a new warrior, but it doesn't look like she is going to get along well with Russetblaze... or Crowstrike. xD **


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